Dani & Taylor Reynolds Sister Act

Stepping into Dani and Taylor’s Toronto apartment you’re greeted with bold pops of colour and familial smiles. The sisters—and roommates—have lived in their apartment for six months, slowly trading in their student-home furniture for upgraded found and gifted accents. Although the schooling’s not over yet, as they explain the complicated concoction they made in their cocktail class the day before—not bad for post-grad education. Their real day-to-day consists of less daiquiris and more design, Dani as Art Director at the boutique creative agency Kastor & Pollux, and Taylor as the Digital Marketing Lead at Artscape, a Toronto-based arts and culture non-profit.

Dani: “I’m especially excited about my role at Kastor & Pollux because, being a majority-women team, our work increases young female representation in both the agency world and creative industries. In my spare time, I also freelance as a set stylist and product photographer. In both instances, my days are split between conceptualizing, fabricating, sourcing, and shooting.”

Taylor: “Our latest project at Artscape is a 30,000sq. ft space that we’ve transformed into accessible creative production studios! As a former full-time freelancer, I can’t wait to see this come to fruition. Like most creatives, however, I like to keep my hands busy—very busy—so I still freelance on the side, working in photo and design.”

We chatted about living, and dressing, as not only sisters, but roommates, and how that affects each other’s style.

Dani: “I’ve definitely come home excited to show off a new clothing purchase, only to find Tay has already bought the same item! Work-wise, our Pinterest boards and other visual references often overlap. When you’re both speaking the same language it makes for seamless collaboration, so it’s not a bad thing!”

Taylor: “Being the youngest sister I’ve always looked up to Dani for many things—cue the awe—and her style has always been one of them.”

Dani: “When we moved in together a couple years ago, wardrobe boundaries pretty much went out the window! We’ve both been striving to be more mindful in our consumption habits; purchasing fewer, but better quality clothes. Having two wardrobes to choose from has been really helpful to keep on track with this goal.”

On the favourite item in each other’s closets

Dani: “My favourite item in Tay’s wardrobe used to be this denim overall-style onesie. I would borrow it all the time, so she eventually caved and gave it to me. We’re big fans of clothing trades!”

Taylor: “Dani has this vintage ‘90s oversized race car T-shirt. After borrowing it so many times I caved and bought something similar (surprise, surprise!).”

On favourite item in their own closets—and chasing down pants in Tokyo

Dani: “Another onesie—I love ‘em! This one I found buried on a clothing rack during Dundas West Fest. It’s a vintage fudge-brown corduroy dream with a shirt collar and wide legs; so very ‘70s. The only problem was it was two sizes too big and had a few holes. Thankfully my tailor can work wonders, and stitched it up to a perfect condition and perfect size. Clothes that are worth wearing are worth repairing!”

“Dani and I spotted them when we were in Tokyo and it was one of those moments where you try it on and then play the waiting game—except we couldn’t find the same store again.”

Taylor: “A pair of elastic high-waisted pants in white! Dani and I spotted them when we were in Tokyo and it was one of those moments where you try it on and then play the waiting game—if you still want something a few days later you buy it (right?). Of course, the vintage store we found them at had three additional locations and we couldn’t find the same store again. Days later we managed to find the pants and it was totally worth racking up my data on Google Maps!”

On most ‘regretted’ sartorial choices:

Dani: “Pretty much every year I look back and question my sartorial choices. That being said, the past outfits that make me cringe now are oftentimes the outfits that I remember feeling the most confident in, or having the most fun wearing. No regrets!! Self-expression and experimentation in the present is more important than the (very) minor embarrassment you might feel in the future.”

Taylor: “I’m a pretty big music junkie and it’s always played a role in influencing my wardrobe. When I was in high school I may have taken my love for metal music a little too far, but it made for some hilarious memories—no regrets!”

On decorating on a budget and the power of colour

Dani: “Highly-recommend exploring non-traditional avenues for sourcing. We found a lot of items through Bunz Trading Zone, Kijiji, thrift stores, and even swapping with friends and family. As someone who sources things for a living, I promise you there are great treasures out there for way less than what conventional retailers are selling them. Buying local or second hand also gives your space more character. Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of colour! When used strategically it’s a high-impact way to create a mood and sense of cohesiveness without breaking the bank.”

Taylor: “Ditto to what Dani said! And my one piece of advice is to maintain functionality—if it’s a small space, skip those knick-knacks unless they have a function!”